islam today

"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!"

This twenty-first century is a challenge, particularly to Muslims. All spiritual ideologies commonly possess the concept of other-worldliness, i.e. renouncing the world. Islam however presents a positive outlook on life that God is Absolute Good. Thus whatever God created is good and its misuse makes it evil. Islam changed humanity’s outlook and gave belief a unique character. Islam teaches that true religion is to spiritualise the life here on earth. This was a revolutionary idea, even to monotheists for it combined the notion of ‘this worldliness’ and ‘other worldliness’.

The major feature of the Islamic outlook is a combination of this worldliness and other worldliness - The emphasis on this world as well as the life hereafter. Even a child knows "Rabbana...hassana. "The philosophy of life based on reforming the world, establishing here The Kingdom of God, all that is good; establishing virtue and eradicating vice in whatever forms it may exist. Consequently the ideal of Islam was not to renounce the environment but to conquer the environment- to pursue life in this world as ibadullah or servant of the one true God.

The Islamic community started its journey through history in the most glorious manner. In the field of politics it was confronted by the very powerful Roman Empire in the Northwest and by the powerful Iranian Empire in the Northeast and it appeared as if every political force in the world was arrayed against the advancing tide of Islam. They wanted to hold it in check and consequently the clash came, but in that clash these big empires were blown to pieces, and that to in a very short period of time. It was not actually the conflict between political groups; it was actually the conflict between philosophies of life. The philosophy of life, which Islam had given, was a dynamic and vibrant philosophy that infused a spirit and a force into its followers, to an extent and in a manner where it was impossible for the adversaries of Islam to face the challenge. Islam was a challenge for the entire humanity 1400 years ago and remained a challenge for mankind in the seventh century of the Christian era. The Muslims became the pioneers in every walk of life; it was not only victories on the battlefield, but on every front. They became the teachers on every branch of knowledge for mankind. They became the embodiment of the highest moral standard, the personification of the highest spiritual values and they were respected, admired and feared by the entire world. They were respected for they took the lead in spiritualising culture to such an extent that many countries became ‘Arabicised’, like North Africa. Islam came with such beauty that the people began loving not only Islam but also even those who carried the message. The tide of Islam when it crossed the North African regions, finally penetrated in its first trek into Europe, penetrated to Spain and there in Spain the Muslims built up a civilisation that will remain the pride and envy of all the races, peoples and ideologies gone by. They arrived there, built up their culture and civilisation started their universities, observatories and hospitals. They enforced town planning when Europe was sunk in darkness, in medieval barbarism. The Church in Europe fought against the forces of enlightenment. The most eminent minds from all over Europe came and studied under the Muslims, whose glory they could not withstand and the foundations were laid for the Western Renaissance. Knowledge came to Europe through the Muslims thus the Church hated the Muslims. Christianity was built on the conflict between faith and reason. It based its philosophy on faith only. Thus the philosophy and scientific knowledge that evolved and followed was considered against the Church. As a reaction to this stance by the Church, an atheistic and material philosophy evolved. This was the foundation of modern civilisation i.e. atheistic and materialistic in the realm of belief; sensualistic and pleasure seeking in the domain of morality; exploitive in the field of economics and expedient in the political arena. Thus the God-conscious are considered reactionary’s whilst those that are not God-conscious or atheistic are considered to be progressive and modern. If you don’t believe in morality you are modern, but if you believe in truth, goodness, moral integrity and chastity then you are outdated. If you don’t conduct business within ethical principles you are prosperous.

This is the challenge facing us. Consequently the Holy Qur'aan has commanded the Muslims to build our power to the utmost and keep it to the highest pitch to face all challenges. Sura al-Anfaal 8 Verse 60

Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power keep it to the highest pitch against them), including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.

The forces against us are gaining momentum daily. Thus we have to acquire knowledge in the fields that we have neglected. We have lost over power in the field of education, technology, commerce, economics and military might. The evolving of our personalities spiritually has been replaced by in fighting and hair-splitting. Our enemies could not have succeeded on the battlefield against us if we had not become what we have become at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Once we were politically floored the challenge became more magnified. Today we find ourselves at a loss as to how to balance ourselves. The tables have been turned on us and I will tell you those that are still asleep, those who are still not conscious of what has happened:

A Muslim scientist in Syria discovered the principle of pendulum. The first one made by him is still in Syria. The Abbasid Caliph sent its delegation to Europe and with it sent a clock as a gift to Emperor Charlemagne, the most renowned European king of those days. When the delegation presented the clock to Charlemagne he asked his chamberlain to hold it and when he heard the ticking he said to the Emperor these Muslims have sent a ghost inside this to destroy us. Very unfortunately and to our shame history has repeated itself. In the 19 C when the Bedouins used to rob the Hajis on the way, a Bedouin found a watch on one of his victims, heard the ticking and smashed it to pieces saying, haza Iblis.

Modern civilisation with all its glamour is attractive to our youth and they imitate this glamour. This is the challenge. This is not politics this is religion. How do we meet this challenge? Today there is much more degeneration and we are degenerating continuously. In the meantime our community is continued to be divided further and further on every petty issue. I wish to speak out very frankly; we no more produce thinkers like al-Ghazzali, Fakhruddin Razi, Imam Shafei or Imam Abu Hanifa. We are producing charlatans, ordinary type of people including myself. We are not capable of understanding what is happening. We don't have basira or insight and we have lost Hikmah or wisdom. We who are sincere to God and Islam are divided in every manner possible. Why is the world of Islam not producing men of that pattern and type as found in the days of glory? Probably the conditions don't exist. That healthy spiritual climate that intellectual level of pursuit of knowledge, that healthy moral pattern of life, which Islam gave in its days of glory- does not exist today.

Do not despair! this is not our end. One spark can be converted into a blazing fire. This is the same spark the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) placed in the heart of his companions. Iman is not a mere ritual or formal exercise, but something real and alive, that must be cultivated. The nurturer of this iman is extreme love for the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). This is what made our forbearers great. We shall have to return to that iman. We are far from it today, most of us, despite our outer trappings and external, superficial following of Sunnah. Read the Qur’aan and try to think about the qualities of genuine Muslims. Sura al-Furqaan 25 Verse 63

And the servants of Allah (The Merciful Lord) are only those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address, wanting to drag them into fights and quarrels, they say, "Our ideal in life is Peace!"

How many of us have this humility in us? Judge ourselves and judge others silently- only to understand. The Qur’aan says in the very next verse of this chapter:

Those who spend the night standing in front of their Lord prostrating

Are we doing it? Where will the moral and spiritual fibre come from if we don’t practice this humility and prostration? Therefore follow the advice given in Sura az-Zumar 39 Verse 53

Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance), approach Him, come near to Him and bow to His Will

The miracle of glory, greatness and goodness is near to happen over. Understand Islam in the light of the demands of this modern age. Positively preach Islam with love and affection and expound it scientifically, practically and spiritually. Islam did not come to wage war, but to advise positive living, to invite others with love and affection, with sympathy and the best of goodwill. The treat to our value system and culture we can and should face with the weapons of virtue, godliness and sacrifice. The challenge can be met with the weapon of glory and greatness, which comes through humility and godliness and not through arrogance and vice. Allah is truth, Islam is truth and we should be true to fellow beings. Our weapon is virtue and Godliness, not arrogance and petty mindedness. These conditions are the pains of a rebirth. The community is the womb out of which new forces are to emerge. Blessed are those who can understand and feel this.

International Sufi Order

ISLAM TODAY

THE CHALLENGE FACING MUSLIMS